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Speaker 1: Joining us now on the Java House Peel and poor

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Speaker 1: guest line. He is the newest member of the Indiana Pacers,

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Speaker 1: of course, coming as part of the trade deadline move

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Speaker 1: of seeing Isaiah Jackson and Benedict Maaden going to Los

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Speaker 1: Angeles and Avitza Zubats is now a member of the

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Speaker 1: Indiana Pacers and has now gotten to know the Indiana

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Speaker 1: media just a little bit and is looking around at

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Speaker 1: the snow in the ground and thinking to himself, this

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Speaker 1: ain Santa Monica Pier. But he joins us now in

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Speaker 1: the program. Let me be the first to say, welcome

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Speaker 1: to Indianapolis.

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Speaker 2: Thank you, thank you.

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Speaker 1: Let's go back to I guess the news of this

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Speaker 1: because and Rick Carlisle talked about this earlier today, and

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Speaker 1: that is the fact that you were playing through some injury.

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Speaker 1: I think it was ankle that happened to you late

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Speaker 1: in December, because you wanted to get things going for

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Speaker 1: the Clippers back on the right track, and you did

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Speaker 1: that and kudos for that. But at the same time,

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Speaker 1: were you aware or did the Clippers make it known

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Speaker 1: to you that you were a potential trade deadline guy

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Speaker 1: that could be moved.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I played the injury happened. I came back

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Speaker 2: a little earlier. I wanted to, you know, I wanted to.

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Speaker 2: We didn't start off the season right, so I wanted

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Speaker 2: to help the team and come back, and we kind

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Speaker 2: of started turning things around. But yeah, the day before deadline,

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Speaker 2: I they they they let me know. They told me

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Speaker 2: there there was a there was a chance that there

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Speaker 2: there's a team that's been very aggressive that wanted me,

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Speaker 2: and uh, there's a chance. There's some discussions, and so

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Speaker 2: I was kind of ready for it.

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Speaker 1: Were you what was your thought when you knew it

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Speaker 1: was Indiana?

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Speaker 2: It was just like a lot of stuff going on.

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Speaker 2: But I was just thinking about basketball, flit. I was

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Speaker 2: thinking about you guys went to the team went to

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Speaker 2: the finals last year. It was one half away from

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Speaker 2: winning a championship. I know from before that it's a

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Speaker 2: big basketball state that people love basketball in Indiana, and

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Speaker 2: I taught that this team needs a center like me,

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Speaker 2: and I need a team like this. So the first

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Speaker 2: thought was it's going to be a great basketball fit

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Speaker 2: and that I'm very excited. You know.

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Speaker 1: The other great thing about it is and by the way,

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Speaker 1: and I mean this with the all due respect, Okay,

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Speaker 1: but I want to make sure that because I have

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Speaker 1: heard it in various ways in terms of the pronunciation

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Speaker 1: of your name, and I don't mean to be if

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Speaker 1: I hope that's not offensive to you when I ask,

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Speaker 1: I want to make sure that I'm saying it correctly,

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Speaker 1: Avizza Zubats. Did I say that correctly?

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Speaker 2: Iviza?

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Speaker 1: Iviza Ivizza Zubats?

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Speaker 2: Is that right? Yeah? Okay? Yeah?

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Speaker 1: So with that, one of the advantages here for you,

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Speaker 1: at least we feel this way, Iviza, and that is

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Speaker 1: that Indiana is a great place to raise a family.

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Speaker 1: That's what you always hear Midwest values, great place to

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Speaker 1: raise a family. And it turns out the day that

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Speaker 1: you found out that in fact you're going to be

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Speaker 1: a Hoosier, you became a father. So i'd and congratulations

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Speaker 1: on that, a baby girl, if I'm not.

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Speaker 2: Mistaken correct, Yes, you're right?

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Speaker 1: Okay, So what is the game plan in terms of

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Speaker 1: time frame of the understandable nature of wanting to be

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Speaker 1: with your family in that regard and soak in and

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Speaker 1: enjoy that moment and then working your way back in

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Speaker 1: with the team. Has there been any discussion on when

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Speaker 1: we might see you actually on the floor.

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Speaker 2: I think Uh, you know, we're trying to get this

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Speaker 2: ankle very first. That's A. That's a that's the number

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Speaker 2: one priority. But I'll be going to LA for the

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Speaker 2: All Star break, spend some time with a with a

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Speaker 2: family with a baby girl, and then I'll come back

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Speaker 2: to Indiana like all the guys will, and uh, we'll

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Speaker 2: go from there. We'll see, we'll see how the ankle is.

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Speaker 2: We'll work on it, we'll treat it, we'll get it right.

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Speaker 2: And as soon as I fill hundred percent, as soon

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Speaker 2: as Phil is right, I'll be out there.

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Speaker 1: What is your level of I guess familiarity other than

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Speaker 1: obviously you know, having a thirty rebound. I think it

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Speaker 1: game was against Indiana here in the field House in

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Speaker 1: twenty nine. Okay, I'll give you one more. How about that.

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Speaker 1: We'll go with thirty.

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Speaker 2: Right.

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Speaker 1: I appreciate the precision there, but twenty nine. But this

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Speaker 1: roster in particular and its style of play, how familiar

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Speaker 1: are you with Indiana?

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Speaker 2: Just I watched a lot of playoff games last year

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Speaker 2: and just going going against this team and playing against them,

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Speaker 2: I know they pushed the pace a lot, they played

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Speaker 2: really fast, they moved the ball a lot. They look

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Speaker 2: for the open man. It doesn't matter who it is.

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Speaker 2: They're always looking for the best shot available. And just

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Speaker 2: just know that this team never quits. Had a lot

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Speaker 2: of great comebacks in the last year's playoffs, even against

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Speaker 2: US in LA last year, we went out, had a

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Speaker 2: big lead and this scene fought, fought, and got back

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Speaker 2: in the game and beat us. So I know this

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Speaker 2: scene never quits. Plays fast and price hard.

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Speaker 1: Are you comfortable playing fast?

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Speaker 2: Well? I will be. I like to be right, I

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Speaker 2: have to be. I don't mind playing fast paced. That's

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Speaker 2: not necessarily what I've been doing with my team, my

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Speaker 2: past has been doing late last few years. But I'll adjust.

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Speaker 2: I'll use this time until the end of the season

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Speaker 2: this summer to adjust to the pace and to work

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Speaker 2: on my conditioning, and I'll be more than ready.

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Speaker 1: Have you been given indication from Indiana as to how

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Speaker 1: they may want you to play or show things that

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Speaker 1: you haven't before? In other words, are the Pacers planning

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Speaker 1: on the viza zubats that we saw in Los Angeles

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Speaker 1: being exactly the plugging guy, or do you think there's

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Speaker 1: plan on getting you to extend out a little bit

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Speaker 1: it and draw out of defense to give Sika more

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Speaker 1: area on the block. How much discussion has been taking

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Speaker 1: place there.

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Speaker 2: Well, I think the biggest priority is going to be

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Speaker 2: just doing what I do, kind of just making my

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Speaker 2: present felt and the paint on both ends of the floor,

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Speaker 2: rebounding the ball, setting good, good screens for the other guys,

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Speaker 2: communicating on defense, protecting the brim, punishing the mismatches on

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Speaker 2: the offensive end. And then we said, well we'll explore

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Speaker 2: with my you know, we'll see. We'll see how the

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Speaker 2: shot looks. They want to see how it looks. Practices, workouts,

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Speaker 2: We're going to see. Uh, they're going to be the judge,

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Speaker 2: and that's up the coaches. If that's something that I

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Speaker 2: felt like I always had, but I never had many

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Speaker 2: opportunities to do it. But that's it's all up to coaches.

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Speaker 2: If that's something there they want me to add to

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Speaker 2: my game, and uh that's going to help the team.

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Speaker 2: I'm I'm definitely open open to it. And uh, I

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Speaker 2: worked really hard this summer to uh to extend that

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Speaker 2: range and UH bring that to the team next year.

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Speaker 1: Which player on the Pacers roster are you most excited

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Speaker 1: to have now as a teammate.

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Speaker 2: Well, I think that's a big definitely, Tyreese. Uh. Big

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Speaker 2: and point guards they always they always have a special

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Speaker 2: special relationship. Uh. We got to look out for each

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Speaker 2: other on the court and uh just him being one

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Speaker 2: of the best point guards in the league. Uh being

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Speaker 2: a past first guy. Uh, involving all the teammates. I

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Speaker 2: think it's going to be. It's gonna be. Uh, there's

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Speaker 2: gonna be a great chemistry between us, and I'm looking

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Speaker 2: really looking forward for him getting back out. They're healthy

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Speaker 2: and us playing together.

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Speaker 1: It beats a Zubots is our guest. He's on the

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Speaker 1: Joba house peeling. Poor guest. Line newest center. At the

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Speaker 1: Indiana Pacers that game that you mentioned where you had

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Speaker 1: twenty nine rebounds, Lloyd Pierce, the assistant coach for Indiana,

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Speaker 1: kept telling TJ McConnell, drive at the guy, drive at

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Speaker 1: the guy, get him to foul out, and eventually you did.

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Speaker 1: Now McConnell said, he owes you a bottle of wine

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Speaker 1: for that. Has he delivered yet?

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Speaker 2: He's delivering today. Yeah, we talked about it. You say

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Speaker 2: you got something for me, and I think he's delivering today.

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Speaker 1: Well, here's the important thing. I hope that you're able

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Speaker 1: to enjoy a glass of wine while also looking over

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Speaker 1: the fact that you've got a young family. You're in

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Speaker 1: a great place for it here in central Indiana. Our

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Speaker 1: weather is not Los Angeles. I'm not gonna lie about that, Iviza,

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Speaker 1: But I know people here are very happy to have

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Speaker 1: you here and very excited for it, and we certainly

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Speaker 1: wish you the best. Look forward to having you back

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Speaker 1: on the program. But welcome to Indianapolis. It's a great

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Speaker 1: city and I think bright things ahead for you. But

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Speaker 1: I certainly wish you the best in terms of getting

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Speaker 1: back out on the floor and then seeing you out there.

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Speaker 2: Thank you. I appreciate the Warren welcome and see you

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Speaker 2: out there all right.

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Speaker 1: Sounds good again joining us Java House Peelaport guest line.

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Speaker 1: That is the newest member of the Indiana Pacers on

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Speaker 1: a very busy day for him with media obligations, so

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Speaker 1: thanks for working that in. For Evita Zubats, the newest

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Speaker 1: member of the Pacers,